Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1887-04-04
General Bragg at Ch1ckamauga.

the battle we quote the following |
''On the 18th of July L reported to |
General Bragg at Chattanooga. L
had not seen him since [ had been
the junior lieutenant in his battery OF
artillery at Corpus Christi, Texas, in
1916 The other two lieutenants
were George II. Thomas and John
F. REYNOLDS. We four had been in
the same mess there. Reynolds had
been killed at Gettysburg twelve
days before my new assignment.
Thomas, the strongest and most pro-
nounced Southerner of the four, was
now Rosecrans' lieutenant. 1t was
strange casting of lots that three
messmates of Corpus Christi should
meet under such changed circum-
stances at Chickamauga.
My interview with General Bragg
at Chattanooga was not satisfactory.
He was silent and reserved, and
seemed gloomy and respondent. He
had grown prematurely old since |
saw him last, and showed much ner-
vousness. His relations with his
next in command General Polk,
and with some others of his subOr-
dinates, were known not TO be pleas
ant. His many retreats, too, had
alienated the rank and file from him,
or at least had taken away the enthu-
siasm which soldiers feel for the sue
cessful general, and which makes
them obey his orders without ques-
ton, and thus wins for him other
successes. The one thing that sol
dier never fails to understand is vic
tory. and the commander who leads
him to victory will be adored by him
whether that victory has been won by
skill or by blundering, by the master
ly handling of few troops against
great odds, or by the awkward use of
overwhelming numbers. Long be-
fore Stonewall jackson had risen to
the height of his great fame, he had
won the implicit confidence of his
troops in all his movements. where
are you going ? one inquired of the
| foot cavalry as they were making
the usual stealthy march to the enc
mics rear. 'We don't know, but old
Jack does was the laughing answer.
This trust was the fruit of past vic
tories, and it led to other and greater
| achievements.
The want of information at Gener-
al Bragg's headquarters was in
striking contrast with the minute
knowledge General Lee always had
of every operation in his front, and
l was most painfully impressed with
the feeling that it was to be hap
| hazard campaign on our part. My
svmpathies had all been with the
commanding general. l knew the
| carping criticisms of his subordinates,
and the cold looks of his soldiers,
| and knew that these were the natural
results of reverses, whether the blame
for the reverses lay with the COM
mander or otherwise. l had felt, too,
that this lack of confidence, or lack
of enthusiasm, whichever it might be,
was ominous of evil for the impend-
ing battle. But ignorance of the en-
emy's movements seemed a still worse
portent of calamity. Rosecrans had
effected the crossing of the river and
had occupied Wills Valley, between
Sand and Lookout mountains, with
out opposition, and had established
his headquarters at Trenton. Look
out Mountain now interposed tC
screen all the enemies movements
from our observation. General Bragg
had said, petulantly, few days be
fore crossing into Wills Valley: II
is said to be easy to defend a noun
famous country, but mountains hide
your foe from you, while they are
full of gaps through which he car
pounce upon you at any time. A
mountain is like the wall of house
full of rat-holes. The rat lies hid
den at the hole, ready to pop on
when no one is watching. Who car
tell swhat lies hidden behind tha
wall?' said he, pointing to the Cum
berland range across the river"
Bit Of History.
Recently l saw in a Southern pa
per a highly-colored and sensational
account of the narrow escape ant
flight of General John c. Brecken